Representative David Scott, a Georgia Democrat who served nearly three decades in the state’s legislature before being elected to Congress, has died, his office announced on Wednesday. He was 80.
Mr. Scott represented Georgia’s 13th Congressional District for more than 20 years. He was the first African American to serve as Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and was a member of the Congressional Chicken Caucus.
“Mr. Scott was a huge ally to not only Georgia’s chicken producers, but the entire industry more broadly,” said NCC President Harrison Kircher. “Throughout his more than two decades in Congress, he understood and advocated for the vital role that poultry and livestock producers play in feeding families and supporting local economies. But above all, he was a class act. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, his staff, and his constituents back home in Georgia who he served with dedication for so many years.”
Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution
Online registration is now open for the National Chicken Council’s 2026 Summer Board of Directors Meeting, which will be held June 11-13 in Jackson Hole, WY. This meeting will offer a unique opportunity to discuss important matters and collaborate with fellow industry leaders. It is open to NCC board members, allied leader representatives, and invited guests only.
For more information, questions, sponsorship opportunities, or to register, please contact Polina Burko at [email protected].
The National Chicken Council is most grateful for the continuing support of our sponsors:
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U.S. total broiler slaughter data for the week ending April 18, 2026, is estimated by USDA’s Poultry Market News Service to be 168,744,000 broilers, a 3-percent increase from the same week a year earlier.
The 3-percent increase in slaughter compares with a 2-percent increase in eggs set in the United States, 10 weeks earlier, and a 1-percent increase in chicks placed 7 weeks earlier in the United States. USDA’s latest Broiler Hatchery report can be viewed here.
| U.S. Eggs Set, Chicks Placed, Broiler Slaughter Report | ||||||||||
| Week ending | Eggs set | Chicks placed | Eggs set | Chicks placed | Broilers slaughtered | |||||
| change from | change from | 10 weeks previous | 7 weeks previous | |||||||
| 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | ||||||
| -000- | % | -000- | % | -000- | % | -000- | % | -000- | % | |
| Mar | ||||||||||
| 14 | 253,754 | 102 | 196,241 | 102 |
252,239 | 101 | 194,978 | 101 | 173,432 | 104 |
| 21 | 255,241 | 102 | 195,801 | 102 |
253,361 | 102 | 195,386 | 102 | 170,237 | 102 |
| 28 | 256,296 | 103 | 195,765 | 102 |
254,388 | 103 | 195,573 | 102 | 168,527 | 101 |
| Apr | ||||||||||
| 4* | 253,537 | 102 | 196,363 | 103 |
253,842 | 102 | 195,378 | 102 | 168,174 | 100 |
| 11 | 256,019 | 103 | 197,319 | 103 |
251,111 | 101 | 192,408 | 101 | 171,173 | 102 |
| 18 | 255,739 | 102 | 198,455 | 104 |
254,036 | 102 | 193,098 | 101 | 168,744 | 103 |
| 25 | — | — | — | — |
254,580 | 102 | 195,286 | 102 | — | — |
*Easter Holiday Weekend
WHAT HAPPENED: NCC today submitted formal comments to USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service supporting the agency’s proposed 18-month delay of the Poultry Grower Payment Systems and Capital Improvement Systems rule, which is set to go into effect on July 1, 2026. AMS proposed the delay in March after reviewing the rule’s potential costs to the poultry industry and consumers.
WHY IT MATTERS: Beyond the millions of dollars in compliance costs the rule would impose, it would effectively ban bonuses for the best chicken farmers. Eliminating this performance-based compensation system would pay all farmers the same, regardless of hard work, investments, or husbandry practices. It would drive experienced farmers out of the industry and reduce efficiency and competition in rural markets. Even the Biden administration conceded it was “unable to quantify benefits” and acknowledged that any gains for some growers would come at the expense of higher-performing growers.
NCC’s TAKE: NCC strongly supports the proposed delay and urged AMS to finalize it as swiftly as possible to give the industry much-needed certainty and allow integrators to pause costly compliance preparations. “This regulation threatened to dismantle an efficient and successful industry model that has worked well for decades and helps keep chicken affordable for American consumers,” said NCC President Harrison Kircher. NCC also reiterated the legal and policy deficiencies it has raised throughout this rulemaking. NCC’s full comments can be found here.
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING: “We have it hard enough feeding America, don’t make it harder on the growers who actually take pride in their work by making it an ‘everyone gets a trophy’ situation.” – Grower comment on the proposed delay
WHAT’S NEXT: The public comment period closes today, and AMS will review the comments submitted and make a decision on whether to move forward with the delay. NCC urged AMS not to stop at a delay, but to use this period to fully rescind the rule. We will continue to engage with USDA and the administration to ensure the outcome protects farmers, preserves the efficiency of the broiler production system, and keeps chicken affordable for American consumers.
